The is a
Bo-Bo-Bo
A Bo-Bo-Bo or Bo′Bo′Bo′ (UIC classification) is a locomotive with three independent two-axle bogies with all axles powered by separate traction motors. In the AAR system, this is simplified to B-B-B due to the system only taking powered ...
wheel arrangement
In rail transport, a wheel arrangement or wheel configuration is a system of classifying the way in which wheels are distributed under a locomotive. Several notations exist to describe the wheel assemblies of a locomotive by type, position, and c ...
diesel–electric locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the power source is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving whee ...
type operated by the
Japan Freight Railway Company
, or , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It provides transportation of cargo nationwide throughout Japan. Its headquarters are in Shibuya, Tokyo near Shinjuku Station.
The Japan Railways Group was foun ...
(JR Freight)
and the
Kyushu Railway Company
The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan. It formerly operated the Beetle (JR Kyushu), Beetle hydrofoil service across th ...
.
, JR Freight operates 48 Class DF200s, and JR Kyushu operates one (DF200-7000).
Background
In Hokkaido, where the proportion of electrified sections on trunk lines is low, the
Class DD51 had been the mainstay of freight transport since the introduction of "smokeless railways", regardless of whether they ran on electrified or non-electrified sections. After the creation of JR, the increase in freight transportation and the increasing speed of freight trains made the DD51's traction capacity insufficient, requiring trains to run with
double heading
In railroad terminology, double heading indicates the use of two locomotives at the front of a train, each operated individually by its own crew. The practice of triple-heading involves the use of three locomotives. The practice of multi-head ...
. Due to the harsh climate in Hokkaido, the cars also became increasingly obsolete. To address these issues, the DF200 was developed.
[日本貨物鉄道株式会社 技術開発部・北海道支社運輸車両課 「JR貨物 DF200形式電気式ディーゼル機関車 開発から誕生の経過」『鉄道ピクトリアル』1996年5月号(No.621)pp.16-24][「蘇った"電気式" ディーゼル機関車 DF200」『鉄道ダイヤ情報』2005年8月号(No.256) pp.4-7][「威風堂々"走る発電所" DF200型のメカニズムに迫る」『鉄道ダイヤ情報』2005年8月号(No.256) pp.20-23]
It was rewarded with
Laurel Prize
The is an award presented annually in Japan since 1961 by the Japan Railfan Club. It is awarded for railway vehicles that entered service in the previous year and voted by the selection committee as having the most outstanding functional and des ...
in 1994.
Variants
* DF200-900
* DF200-0
* DF200-50
* DF200-100
* DF200-200
* DF200-7000 (
JR Kyushu
The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan. It formerly operated the Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait be ...
)
DF200-900
The pre-production locomotive DF200-901 was delivered in March 1992 for testing. It has two
MTU 12V396TE14 diesel engines.
DF200-901 was withdrawn from regular service in fiscal 2023.
DF200-0
Full-production batch delivered from 1994. Red "JRF" logos were later replaced by white logos. 12 locomotives were built.
DF200-50
Batch built from March 2000 with
Komatsu SDA12V170-1 diesel engines in place of the earlier MTU engines. External changes include grey front-end skirts, white "JRF" logos, and "Red Bear Eco Power" logos. 13 locomotives were built.
DF200-100
Batch built from August 2005 to December 2011 with
IGBT
An insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is a three-terminal power semiconductor device primarily forming an electronic switch. It was developed to combine high efficiency with fast switching. It consists of four alternating layers (NPNP) that ...
VVVF inverters.
23 Class DF200-100 locomotives were built.
DF200-200
In 2016, DF200-123 was moved from Hokkaido to Suita Depot in
Osaka
is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
,
where it underwent modifications and renumbering to DF200-223 before being returned to service on the
Kansai Main Line
The is a railway line in Japan, which connects Nagoya Station with JR Namba Station in Osaka. It is jointly run by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West), with the boundary between both compan ...
in the
Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...
area.
This was followed by locomotives DF200-116 and DF200-120, which were similarly modified and renumbered DF200-216 and DF200-220 respectively in 2018.
DF200-7000
A dedicated Class DF200-7000 diesel locomotive was built in 2013 for JR Kyushu's ''
Seven Stars in Kyushu
The is a deluxe sleeping car excursion train operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) in Japan since October 2013.
Design
The overall design concept of the train was overseen by industrial designer Eiji Mitooka. The name of the train is ...
'' luxury excursion train. Built specially for use in Kyushu and finished in a deep maroon livery, the locomotive was built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe, and delivered in July 2013.
Classification
The DF200 classification for this locomotive type is explained below.
* D: Diesel locomotive
* F: Six driving axles
* 200: Diesel–electric locomotive with AC motors
References
External links
JR Freight website
{{Jrkyushuloco
Diesel–electric locomotives of Japan
DF200
DF200
Bo-Bo-Bo locomotives
1067 mm gauge locomotives of Japan
Railway locomotives introduced in 1994
Kawasaki diesel locomotives